2001 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN wheel

Accessories and Modifications

Modifications
Do not remove any original equipment or modify your car in any
way that would alter its design or operation. This could make your car
unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modifications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the car's anti-lock brakes and other systems. In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheelor any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System. Modifications could make the
system ineffective.
Additional Safety Precaution
Do not attach or place objects on

the front airbag covers. Any object

attached to or placed on the covers
marked "SRS AIRBAG," in the
center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard, could
interfere with the proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inflate, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone.
On models equipped with side airbags
Do not attach hard objects on or

near a front door. If a side airbag
inflates, a cup holder or other hard
object attached on or near the door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
Do not place any objects over the

outside edge of a front seat-back.

Covering the outside edge of a
front seat-back, with a non-Honda seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Before Driving

Preparing to Drive

You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely. 5. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 88).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 99).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 67).
8. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.

9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 14 ). 10.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11.Start the engine (see page 193).
12. Check the gauges and indicator lights in the instrument panel (see
page 53).

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Drive (D3) —This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Second (2) — To shift to Second,
press the release button on the side
of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing, and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. First (1) — To shift from Second to
First, press the release button on theside of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshifting and downshifting through 1, 2, D3 and D4,
you can operate this transmission much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.

Driving

Parking

Always use the parking brake when you park your car. The indicator onthe instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; itdoes not indicate that the parking
brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake before you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the car from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission — making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put it in first gear.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb. If you have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away. Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parking Tips
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn off the lights. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter.
On EX and EX-V6 models

Check the indicator on the driver's
door to verify that the security
system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

Driving

The Braking System
Your Honda is equipped with front disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels may be disc or drum, depending on the model. A power
assist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up canreduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind

you.
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower gear and taking your foot off theaccelerator pedal.
Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious and alert in your driving. Brake Wear Indicators
The front disc brakes on all models have audible brake wear indicators.
They are also on the rear brakes of cars equipped with ABS as standard
equipment.
When the brake pads need replacing, you will hear a distinctive metallic"screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching."

Driving

The Braking System

Brake System Design
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
Anti-lock Brakes

LX with ABS, EX and all V6 models
have an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) as standard equipment. It is
optional on other models.
ABS helps to prevent the wheels from locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retainsteering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a
person can do it. You should never pump the
brake pedal, this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On drypavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.

Driving

Front

The Braking System

Important Safety Reminders

ABS does not reduce the time or distance it takes to stop the car, it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
ABS will not prevent a skid that results from changing direction
abruptly, such as trying to take acorner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of stability. Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into oncoming traffic or off the road. A vehicle with ABS may require a
longer distance to stop on loose oruneven surfaces, such as gravel orsnow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
ABS Indicator

The ABS is self-checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (seepage 55 ). This means the anti-lock
function of the braking system has shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible.
Driving
*U.S. indicator shown
ABS INDICATOR*

Traction Control System
On LX V6 and EX V6 models

Your Honda is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or slippery surfaces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30km/h).
The TCS monitors the speed of all four wheels. When it senses a front
wheel losing traction, it applies braking to that wheel. The TCSindicator flashes when this occurs.
Driving with TCS requires no specialskills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle's whole
braking system and cannot prevent skidding if you enter a corner too
fast. It is still your responsibility to
drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety. When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign the TCS
is activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light flash. You should still install winter tires on
your vehicle during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
same caution in winter driving as you
would if your vehicle was not equipped with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page 296) may activate the TCS. You should turn off
the system.
If the brakes overheat while the TCS
is activating, the TCS indicator willstop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that the TCS system has turned off. After the brakes have
cooled down (usually for about 10
minutes), the TCS will turn back onand the indicator will turn off.

Driving
TCS INDICATOR